


Ice Skating

by Bara_H



Category: BBC Sherlock, Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Short Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-12 22:54:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28768164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bara_H/pseuds/Bara_H
Summary: So I’ve been ice skating recently and the song Staying alive started playing in my earphones, so my storyteller brain automatically thought of Sherlock. This is how it ended up...John talks Sherlock over to try ice skating.
Kudos: 1





	Ice Skating

Against what many people believe Sherlock never bothered to learn ice skating. 'Why would he even learn such a useless action if it isn’t of any use?' He always asked his parents when they tried to get him on the frozen lake in winter. “Half of the people look like penguins anyways!” Sherlock would always say. On one winter day in Baker Street however, John decides it would be a great idea to go Ice skating, John loved ice skating as a child, he learned it while he was young and then spent quite an impressive amount of time mastering it. Instinctively John asked if Sherlock would like to come with him, as he assumed that everyone learned at least the basics as a child. To John’s surprise, it took hours to convince his friend and John had no idea why would he refuse so vividly. In the end in an attempt to silence John, Sherlock confessed he never stood on the ice skates let alone learned how to move forwards on them. John was surprised at first but didn’t want to make Sherlock feel bad or left out so he hid his temporary surprise and instead offered Sherlock to teach him. 'So much for silencing John…' Sherlock Thought. “Come on it will be fun.” John refused to give up. “You don’t have anything to do anyways, there hasn’t been a case for at least two days now.” He said, which in the end convinced the bored detective to at least give it a try. Not even an hour later both John and a slightly too nervous Sherlock, who was of course hiding his fearful emotions, stood in front of the nearest ice rink. They borrowed Sherlock a pair of ice skates leaving the lady who lends them mildly confused on what is a famous detective Sherlock Holmes doing at their place. 

Sherlock looked doubtfully on his new footwear and tried to examine the two thin metal blades he was supposed to balance on. Meanwhile John was already standing beside the bench Sherlock was sitting on, waiting for him to put the ice skates on. Finally Sherlock stood up trying to catch balance and proceeded to follow John towards the artificially frozen area. “Just to be completely fair I haven’t been ice skating in a few years now so it’ll be somewhat new to me as well.” John said stepping onto the icy rink catching a doubtful look on Sherlock’s face. “It will be fine.” John laughed assuringly at his friend’s expression and helped him onto the ice as well. Sherlock toppled trying to catch his balance on the slippery ice beneath him. He might have even fallen if John wouldn’t have caught him. “At the beginning try to just walk. As if you had normal shoes on.” He encourages Sherlock after making sure he has his balance again. 

Walking on ice in ice skates isn’t that hard and Sherlock is a quick learner, so it didn’t cause much trouble even to the still uncertain detective. Just walking however doesn’t look or feel that good so it was quickly time to move on. “Now. Ice skating is a bit like dancing- you love dancing- so move to the rhythm. You shift your balance from one side to the other like a penguin.” John spoke while showing to his friend what he means. Sherlock tried to recreate what he has been shown while holding onto the barriers on the side and making constant remarks about the utter stupidity and uselessness of this sport. “Maintain the rhythm Sherlock!” John had to repeat a few times before Sherlock actually starred to get it.

“Let go of the barriers, you’ll have more space to move.” John tried to convince Sherlock. “But then I’ll lose balance again.” He admitted after a few unsuccessful attempts to let go of the supportive wall on his left. “Alright, give me a moment I’ll try something.” John said and left. He sped up and made one loop around the ice rink, after that he turned around and continued backwards, refreshing his abilities. After he made sure he still remembers how to do this, he got back to already slightly annoyed Sherlock. “Give me your hands.” John ordered him. Sherlock- though hesitant- did what he was asked to and held onto John’s hands. “I’ll be your supportive barrier for now. If you lose balance I’ll catch you.” “Or you’ll fall with me.” Sherlock muttered. John then proceeded to slowly move backwards in the opposite direction of everyone else’s movement leaving space for Sherlock to ‘waddle his way’ towards him. For an observer from their surroundings the scene might have looked funny especially given John’s and Sherlock’s height difference, but John nor Sherlock seemed to mind. 

John looked into Sherlock’s eyes supportively, telling him nonverbally how proud he is of him. From what John knows, his friend tends to be stubborn and unwilling to learn… especially if he thinks that a certain skill is not worth his time. But here he was, on an ice rink learning a new thing that he was convinced was useless just a few hours ago. “John? John! Turn!” He suddenly hears his friend, but before he is able to return to reality and figure out what is happening, he hits one of the barrier on the side still holding Sherlock’s hands causing him to almost lose balance. John couldn’t help it but laugh. “I’m so sorry. I got lost in my thoughts.” He says through the laughter. At first Sherlock kept a straight face but he started laughing soon after. “Well since we are at the side, can I leave you here for a minute? I’ll go buy us something warm to drink, I’ll be right back.” John asks. “Sure.” Sherlock answered quickly. After that John turned around making a perfect pirouette and slid away, leaving Sherlock amazed at what he just experienced. Sure he saw some other people around them making all sorts of crazy maneuvers but he wasn’t exactly expecting one from John.

An hour had passed and both John and Sherlock were still on the ice. As I already mentioned, Sherlock is a quick learner so he steadily progressed in this newly found activity. I might even go as far as to say that he enjoyed himself a little while skating on the ice, now completely on his own. Sure he still tripped and fell now and then, but both his style and speed improved rapidly since he first stepped on the slippery ice. “Can I have a request?” Sherlock asked after he finally caught up with John who was speeding his way along the most outer side of the ice rink. “Shoot.” John slowed down so his friend could keep up with him. He secretly enjoyed the idea. For once it was him who had to slow down and not Sherlock, who John had to ask on many occasions to slow down as the detective was walking too quickly for John’s legs to manage. Sherlock was silent for a little moment and then asked, quietly, as if being ashamed of the question: “Can you show me how you do the pirouettes?” John laughed at Sherlock's voice tone, nodded and made his way to the center of the ice closely followed by Sherlock. “First you get some speed.” John circled around his friend a few times. “Then you put your legs together in a T-“ He continued, now riding in a straight line, “And you spin!” John concluded his sentence and did as he previously explained, spinning in a neat circle for a good four or five seconds at speeds Sherlock couldn’t really comprehend. Eventually John stopped and smiled at his friend's amazed expression that stayed on Sherlock’s face until he realized John can see him. “The basic idea is that you stand on one leg and you spin using the other…” John started to explain again, now slower so Sherlock could follow his steps. Sherlock stood on one of his long legs and pushed himself to the side by the other hoping to achieve the spinning motion- he did… that wasn’t the hard part for him, however once spinning, his legs inevitably slid in opposite directions sending Sherlock once again to the icy ground. “Sherlock, are you okay?” John asked immediately, reaching to his friend to help him get up. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” Sherlock answered, pulling himself back to his feet. 

“I am so sorry to interrupt-!” A voice suddenly came from the exit door to the ice rink. “but I will have to ask you to leave. We closed five minutes ago.” It was the lady from before, who lended Sherlock’s skates. John looked at his phone in his jacket pocket. “Oh, of course, we are sorry. We lost track of time.” It was already quite late in the evening- way later than the two expected. And so both the detective and his friend made their way to the exit, taking off their ice skates and returning Sherlock’s ones to the lady. On the way back to Baker Street both John and Sherlock felt a sense of accomplishment and happiness about the time spent on the ice rink. Though Sherlock didn’t say anything, he was already thinking when is the next time the two of them could go ice skating again.


End file.
